6
C
HAPTER
2: I
NSTALLING THE
A
CCESS
P
OINT
Deciding Where to
Place Equipment
Select a clean, dry location that provides good reception. The site should not be
close to transformers, heavy-duty motors, fluorescent lights, microwave ovens,
refrigerators and other equipment.
If you are connecting the access point to a wired network, the location must
provide an Ethernet connection. The power supply also requires an Ethernet
connection, and in addition must be located near a power source. An Ethernet
cable will have to run from the power supply to the access point.
An access point provides coverage at distances of up to 1000 feet. Signal loss can
occur if metal, concrete, brick, walls, or floors block transmission. If your office has
these kinds of obstructions, you may need to add additional access points to
improve coverage.
If you plan to use one the available optional antennas instead of the standard
detachable antennas, review Antenna Options on page 11 before selecting the
final location and be sure to allow for routing the antenna cable.
Do not install the access point in wet or dusty areas without protection. Make sure
the temperature ranges between 20° C to 55° C (4° F to 131° F).
Connecting the
Standard Antenna
The access point is supplied with standard detachable antennas. These should be
attached before the access point is installed.
1 Carefully unpack the standard detachable antennas.
2 Screw an antenna into each of the sockets in the access point housing.
3 Hand-tighten the antennas.
4 Position the antennas so they turn out and away from the access point at a
45-degree angle.
As a rule, the initial orientation of the antennas should be perpendicular to the
floor. After network startup, you may need to adjust the antennas to fine-tune
coverage in your area.
Depending on the coverage required for your site, you may want to replace the
standard detachable antennas with one of the external antennas available for use
with the access point. See Antenna Options on page11 .
The standard detachable antennas do not have an electrical connection between
the mask mount and the coaxial cable shield. However, adding a lightning arrestor
will correct this situation by grounding the outer shield as recommended. Some
arrestor designs provide over-voltage protection for the signal sent down the
cable. If you use such a design, be sure tha t it can pass signals used in the 2.5GHz
signal range. Many inexpensive units are available with F connectors, but these are
typically designed for cable TV-UHF applications and may degrade the signals in
the band used by the wireless bridge.
